


Superhero or Something

by MissWitch



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: Gen, Post-Chosen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-29
Updated: 2015-07-29
Packaged: 2018-04-11 21:54:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4453796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissWitch/pseuds/MissWitch
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for the Buffy is the Hero, Damnit fication for LJ user <b>ubiquirk</b><br/>Prompt:  Post-Chosen: what is the defining moment that makes Buffy realize she's going to keep Slaying? How does she feel about it?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Superhero or Something

Buffy hugged the last of the newly formed Slayers and waved as they made their way through the airport security. The past few weeks had been a whirlwind of frenzied activity. They’d barely had a chance to catch their breath after defeating the First before they had to rush around, locating the new Slayers. In fact, Willow and Kennedy were still at it. The two of them were currently in Africa following up on word of several new Slayers. 

“Sad to see them go?” murmured Giles from behind her. Buffy kept the smile plastered on her face as she replied.

“I’m sure I should be,” she muttered through the smile, “but mostly, I’m just excited about having my own room again.” Giles chuckled. 

“I can’t say that I blame you. I must say, I’m rather looking forward to sleeping in my own bed once again.”

“So you really are going then?” she asked with sadness in her voice. Giles put a consoling hand on her shoulder. 

“I’m afraid so,” he said, nodding slowly. “Since you’ve chosen to retire from slaying, you have no need for a Watcher. Besides, someone needs to take charge of reorganizing the Watcher’s Council, and quite honestly, I’m the most qualified.” 

Buffy’s mouth curved into a smile as she turned to face him. 

“Don’t be so modest there, Giles” she teased. He laughed good-naturedly at her jibe. Still smiling, he leaned down and grabbed his bag. Standing on tiptoe, she threw her arms around him as he straightened up. 

“I’m going to miss you,” she whispered, squeezing him tightly. 

“I’ll be back to visit, Buffy,” he assured her as they parted. “You won’t be rid of me that easily.”

“Are you going to send Xander back to me?” she asked as he began to walk away. “After all, the new Watcher Headquarters is finished. There’s no need for him to stay in England, is there?” 

“Not unless he believes he can convince one of the new Watchers to join him on a date,” he said with a grin. She laughed.

“I’ll expect him back in the next week or so then.” 

Buffy watched as Giles made his way, slowly, through security. He turned and waved just before he turned down the walkway for his boarding gate. She gave a small wave back, then turned and made her way to the underground subway station. It was going to be weird not having everyone around, she knew. She gave a small smile as she pressed the down button for the elevator. Somehow she thought she’d get used to it. 

After the destruction of Sunnydale, Buffy swore she would never slay again. No more late nights hanging out in cemeteries or creepy mausoleums for her. She was going to be strictly a daytime girl from now on.

It had taken her a long time to reach a point where she could see the future as something to look forward to, not dread. In fact, since she decided to retire, there were endless opportunities open in front of her now. 

She could go back to college or get a job doing anything she wanted. Since Sunnydale had fallen into the ground, the Federal Government had declared it a disaster area, enabling her to file for disaster relief money. She’d qualified and been paid rather quickly, something Buffy suspected Giles had a hand it. But with the money, she’d been able to pay off the last of the bills left by her mother’s death with enough left over for her and Dawn to live comfortably while they figured out what they wanted to do.

With a ping, the elevator doors swooshed open softly, giving access to the ticket station. Buffy purchased her ticket from a cranky old man behind a scratched plastic partition. A sense of giddy freedom bubbling up inside her, she winked at him before pushing through the turnstile.

The train platform was surprisingly empty; the only sounds she could hear was the echo of her own footsteps as she walked along the cement and the low murmur of the couple standing at the far end. Buffy smiled as she watched the man whisper in his girlfriend’s ear. 

Turning away, she peered down the dark tunnel, looking for the subway, as people do while they’re waiting. As she did, she frowned, uneasiness prickling at the back of her neck. Feigning disinterest, she twisted to glance back at the couple.

To the untrained eye, they looked like two people in love. Standing hip to hip, they appeared to have their arms wrapped around each other with their heads close together. Years of Slayer training enabled her to see beyond the surface.

Buffy could see that the girl, a blonde about her own age was straining to get away from the body pressed against hers. While she couldn’t hear what was being whispered into the blonde’s ear, but she didn’t need to. The girl’s eyes were wide with fear, and Buffy knew exactly why.

“Damn it,” she muttered to herself, scuffing the painted cement with her shoe. “I’m retired.” Her voice was petulant even to her own ears. However, there was no mistaking the fact that at the other end of the train platform was a hungry vampire simply waiting for her to leave before feeding on his victim.

Sighing, she plastered a bright, vapid smile on her face as she turned to face the pair.

“Excuse me,” she called out, walking toward them. “Do you know what time this train arrives?” Her voice echoed off the concrete walls. 

“Should be soon,” the vampire answered dismissively. Buffy could see him tighten his grip on his victim. Turning her attention to the girl, who was younger than Buffy originally thought, she pointed at her shoes. “Oh my god! You have the cutest shoes.”

Out of habit, both of them looked down where Buffy was pointing. Using the distraction to her advantage, she caught the vampire on the chin with a strong upper cut, causing him to let go of his victim and knocking him backwards. His victim stumbled at her sudden release. Buffy caught her and moved her out of harms way before renewing her attack on the demon.

It was a short-lived battle. The vampire either an inexperienced fighter or simply unused to having someone fight back, was easily staked. In fact, Buffy’s biggest problem had been finding a piece of wood to stake the vampire with. She ended up having to smash apart a bench and using a piece of that. 

Brushing the ash from her clothes, she turned back to the blonde who was staring at her with wide eyes.

“Are you ok?” Buffy asked. The girl nodded wordlessly for a moment before finding her voice.

“You saved my life,” she said, her voice full of gratitude. “Thank you so much.” The girl reached out and grabbed Buffy’s hands in her own. “I can’t tell you how many people just walked by, ignoring me. I don’t know how I can thank you properly.” 

“It’s ok,” Buffy assured her. The girl shook her head. 

“You don’t understand,” she protested. “I’d be dead if it weren’t for you. That’s… well, that’s something a person doesn’t just forget about.”

Buffy blushed from all the praise. “I’m glad I was there to help you,” she said finally. “Really.”  
“As far as I’m concerned, you’re like, a superhero or something.”

Buffy blinked at the words, her head buzzing with thoughts. First and foremost was the realization that she would never be able to retire, never be able to ignore the forces of evil that lived in the world. There would always be evil that needed to be vanquished or an apocalypse to be stopped. She would never have a nice, normal life.

A smile spread across her face.

“I think I’m ok with that,” she said aloud, more to herself than the blonde. Buffy suddenly realized what had been missing for the past couple of years; the knowledge that she made a difference in the world, that the world was a better place because Buffy Summers was in it.

“Will you excuse me a minute?” she said to the befuddled girl. Buffy turned her back on her, pulling her cell phone out of her pocket. Dialing a number she knew by heart, she waited for an answer on the other end.

“Hey Giles,” she said brightly, “I hear you’re in need of a Slayer to watch. I just happen to know one looking for an experienced Watcher.” She grinned at the sound of surprise in his voice as he asked the name of the slayer she was talking about.

“Her name?" she paused for dramatic effect." Buffy. Buffy the vampire slayer.”


End file.
